Browsing: Lists

A Brief History On March 30, 1939, the Heinkel 100 prototype fighter airplane flew at 463 mph in level flight, at the time the fastest airplane ever.  People have always been fascinated by fast things, whether they be people, animals or machines.  Here is a list of 10 famous fast things that at one time were the fastest of their type or currently reign as the modern speed champ. 10. The Swift. Monty Python posed the question in the movie, the Holy Grail, with the “correct” answer being another question, “European or North African?“  Actually, an entire family of birds…

A Brief History On March 29, 1911, the Colt M1911 .45 ACP caliber semi-automatic pistol became the standard pistol of the US Army.  In the event of natural disaster, nuclear holocaust, revolution, or any other manner of “apocalypse” that may develop, you may need guns and guns need ammunition!  If you are going to stock up on any sort of ammo for the BIG disaster, this article is your list. (Obviously, it would be cheaper to have the ammo and only one gun, because as a wise man once said, if you have one gun you can get more.) Digging…

A Brief History On March 27, 1975, work began on the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.  More than just an 800 mile 48 inch diameter pipe, the vast system includes 11 pumping stations and hundreds of miles of smaller pipes that feed the big pipe.  The US has undertaken many great construction projects, and here we list 10 of them. Digging Deeper 10. Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. Overcoming objections by environmentalists and working in the frozen north presented quite a task.  Cracked fact: Native Americans had mined crude oil from peat soaked in oil for hundreds of years on Alaska’s…

A Brief History On March 26, 1997, 39 members of the “Heaven’s Gate” cult were found to have committed suicide with the intention of being picked up by an alien spacecraft and taken somewhere into outer space where they presumably would find eternal happiness.  Cults have been around about as long as there has been religion, starting as a splinter group that goes against conventional beliefs, sometimes growing into a mainstream religion and sometimes never achieving anything more than sideshow status.  Here are 10 cults that are well known for their extreme beliefs, suicidal tendencies, or celebrity involvement. Digging Deeper…

A Brief History On March 25, 1958, the Canadian supersonic interceptor, the Avro Arrow made its first flight. Designed to fly at Mach 2+ it seemed like a good airplane, but was mysteriously cancelled prior to production, with all partly assembled units and prototypes destroyed.  Other promising weapons have suffered the same fate, some of which may well have been effective while others faded away due to insurmountable problems.  Here are 10 weapons that are distinguished by their novelty, size, or unrealistic projected abilities. Digging Deeper 10. Avro Arrow. A supersonic interceptor designed to shoot down Soviet bombers with air…